


Out of time

by pollencount



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: Circle Tower, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-05
Updated: 2012-02-05
Packaged: 2017-10-30 15:43:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/333352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pollencount/pseuds/pollencount
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his latest escape attempt, they didn't send him to solitary confinement...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of time

After his latest escape attempt, they didn’t send him to solitary confinement, thank the Maker. Instead Karl had found him, sitting on a pew in the chapel, huddled up against something, which the enchanter could not quite identify from where he was standing. As he drew closer, the old floorboards creaking under each of his careful steps, he could finally see it.  
Anders must surely have heard him, but he didn’t look up, didn’t move, except for the hand that was steadily stroking the orange striped fur. When he finally spoke, the young mage’s voice was unusually thin and distant.  
“You know… when I realized, they wouldn’t torture me or throw me into that hole again, I felt relieved for a moment.” He paused, a faint shake of the head indicated disbelief, along with something else, shame probably. “How stupid I am!” His hand clenched into a fist, knuckles white, grabbing strands of soft hair not very gently, before he registered, what he was doing and immediately loosened his grip. Karl took one last step to shorten the distance. Slightly bent forward, he laid a hand on the younger man’s shoulder, which was now trembling under his touch.  
“They said, it’s time they’d teach me a lesson.” His eyes were fixated on the feline, that was resting all too still on his lab.  
“They killed him!”, he suddenly cried out, as if not believing his own words.. not wanting to believe. That was, when he came apart.  
“What has he done to deserve this? What?” He buried his face in Karl’s robe, letting the older man comfort him in a tight embrace. His words were broken, interrupted by desperate sobs. “What has he ever done to hurt anybody? He’s a cat! He’s the only pure thing in this damned place!”  
He fell silent for a second, as if turning inward. “Maker, help me!” It was a silent plea born out of despair, rather than a prayer, almost lost in the fabric of the enchanter’s robe. All the grey-haired man could do, was rubbing soothing circles on the back of the students slumped down body. He’d never seen him like that, not even after solitary confinement, when the boy had been wordless and ghostly for weeks. But he’d never broken down like that. Not until today.  
After what felt like minutes, Anders slowly broke away from the embrace. Karl took the opportunity to kneel down in front of him, so he could face him, one hand now resting on the other one’s knee, who in turn gave his attention back to the cat.  
“They took the only thing away from me, that kept me calm. The only one that mattered.”, the young mage remarked lowly, now looking Karl directly in the eyes, expression defeated, lost.  
His counterpart tried his best, not to show the hurt he felt regarding the statement.  
“I am sorry.”, Karl finally said. What else was there to say, really?  
“No, I am sorry.” Anders gently placed Mr Wiggums down on the pew, while he stood up to leave the room. In passing he patted the older man on the shoulder, holding it just for a second.  
“Forgive me.”, was the last thing the enchanter heard from his protégé. He wasn’t quite sure whether it was directed to him or to the statue of Andraste, silently observing everything… and he couldn’t help but worry.


End file.
